HC staff visit to our Indonesian sister school, SMPN1 Karangmojo
During the last two weeks of school in December 2012, three teachers from Heathmont college, Prema Devathas, Jeanette Barton and Agi Birchall visited our Indonesian sister school, SMPN 1 Karangmojo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is part of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE Project organised by the Asia Education Foundation. It is a professional Indonesian language and intercultural program that blends face-to-face and ICT-based engagement between students from both countries. Over the year, students from both schools have skyped and worked on online collaborative activities.
During our visit to Indonesia, we were involved in numerous intercultural, language and sports activities. We were also involved in professional dialogues with the regional education department, principals from the neighbouring regions and the local communities.
Reflection from one of the travelling teachers, Jeanette Barton, Mathematics Coordinator, Heathmont College:
“It was my very great pleasure to accompany Prema and Agi to visit our sister school in Indonesia. I was overwhelmed by the openness and genuine pleasure shown by the staff and students. The highlights for me included the music class where we had the opportunity to try our hand at traditional instruments, and the dance classes. We also taught the students a dance creation by Agi and together with Agi, I taught them Aussie rules and Netball. The enthusiasm of the students to try new things was infectious. Prema led us at many meetings with Principals, parents and the local communities. The visit to a Primary school was also great fun. We felt like celebrities, as they wanted our autographs. I was also pleasantly surprised with the open friendly relationships between the Christian and Muslim students and the acceptance of the different religions. I feel very honoured to be included in this first visit and I will do everything to support Prema on such future exchanges”.
Reflection from another of the travelling teachers, Agi Birchall, Physical Education Teacher, Heathmont College:
“Professionally and personally the Heathmont College / Karangmojo Junior High School Bridge Partnership experience has become my richest and yet most challenging experience in my 26 years of teaching. The hospitality, energy, enthusiasm and commitment shown by the staff and students from our Javanese sister school “Karangmojo Junior High School” were overwhelming.
It was this energy as well as all our cultural differences that made teaching Physical Education in Java so exciting and very entertaining for all. Picture 37 degree heat, 90% humidity, deep black volcanic sand, goats chewing on a few blades of grass found in the middle of our sports field/paddock, tall transmission towers regularly sounding out Muslim prayers and using coconuts as boundary markers. It also took some convincing that balls could be egg shaped and that football and soccer in Australia were not the same sports. Once that was all sorted the Indonesian students were so determined to learn how to kick, bounce and hand ball our egg shaped footballs across the paddocks. What a great job they did. To see the smiles of success on the Muslim girls' faces will stay with me forever.
We exchanged more than just traditional sports and dances, music and folk tales, cuisine and cultural experiences in the time that Jeanette Barton and our hard working visionary Prema Devathas and l were there. We all exchanged an overwhelming desire to build strong and wide bridges that will only unite Heathmont College students and students from our Javanese sister school “Karangmojo Junior High School” in the near future!
My personal challenge remains that fear, racial tension, language, financial, religious and cultural barriers never stand between us. To Heathmont College and Prema Devathas for giving me this opportunity, thank you.
In conclusion, not only did this visit further strengthened the bond between our two sister schools, but also expanded our insights, knowledge and appreciation of the diverse Indonesian culture and people. The liaison established here will further enhance the collaborative work between students from both schools. We also hope to incorporate more cross-curricular collaborative tasks involving Indonesian, Mathematics and Sports between students from both schools. In the near future, we hope to be able to host students from Indonesia and also provide such language and cultural experience to the wider college community.
Submitted by
Prema Devathas
Indonesian/ BRIDGE program coordinator
Heathmont College
Posted here are some activities whilst we were in Indonesia:
Meet with the Department of education officials at Gunung Kidul
Javanese ladies
"Egrang", traditional games from Java
Bridge teachers and school dancers
Welcome to SMPN1 Karangmojo with this "Tari Gregah"
Meeting with students from a nearby primary school
Jeanette learning to play a traditional instrument
The "Kendang" Master.
It's difficult to play with 2 hands.
"Yogya Istimewa" Dance lesson.
Visit SDN Karangmojo 3 (Karangmojo 3 Promary School).
During the last two weeks of school in December 2012, three teachers from Heathmont college, Prema Devathas, Jeanette Barton and Agi Birchall visited our Indonesian sister school, SMPN 1 Karangmojo in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This is part of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE Project organised by the Asia Education Foundation. It is a professional Indonesian language and intercultural program that blends face-to-face and ICT-based engagement between students from both countries. Over the year, students from both schools have skyped and worked on online collaborative activities.
During our visit to Indonesia, we were involved in numerous intercultural, language and sports activities. We were also involved in professional dialogues with the regional education department, principals from the neighbouring regions and the local communities.
Reflection from one of the travelling teachers, Jeanette Barton, Mathematics Coordinator, Heathmont College:“It was my very great pleasure to accompany Prema and Agi to visit our sister school in Indonesia. I was overwhelmed by the openness and genuine pleasure shown by the staff and students. The highlights for me included the music class where we had the opportunity to try our hand at traditional instruments, and the dance classes. We also taught the students a dance creation by Agi and together with Agi, I taught them Aussie rules and Netball. The enthusiasm of the students to try new things was infectious. Prema led us at many meetings with Principals, parents and the local communities. The visit to a Primary school was also great fun. We felt like celebrities, as they wanted our autographs. I was also pleasantly surprised with the open friendly relationships between the Christian and Muslim students and the acceptance of the different religions. I feel very honoured to be included in this first visit and I will do everything to support Prema on such future exchanges”.
Reflection from another of the travelling teachers, Agi Birchall, Physical Education Teacher, Heathmont College:
“Professionally and personally the Heathmont College / Karangmojo Junior High School Bridge Partnership experience has become my richest and yet most challenging experience in my 26 years of teaching. The hospitality, energy, enthusiasm and commitment shown by the staff and students from our Javanese sister school “Karangmojo Junior High School” were overwhelming.
It was this energy as well as all our cultural differences that made teaching Physical Education in Java so exciting and very entertaining for all. Picture 37 degree heat, 90% humidity, deep black volcanic sand, goats chewing on a few blades of grass found in the middle of our sports field/paddock, tall transmission towers regularly sounding out Muslim prayers and using coconuts as boundary markers. It also took some convincing that balls could be egg shaped and that football and soccer in Australia were not the same sports. Once that was all sorted the Indonesian students were so determined to learn how to kick, bounce and hand ball our egg shaped footballs across the paddocks. What a great job they did. To see the smiles of success on the Muslim girls' faces will stay with me forever.
We exchanged more than just traditional sports and dances, music and folk tales, cuisine and cultural experiences in the time that Jeanette Barton and our hard working visionary Prema Devathas and l were there. We all exchanged an overwhelming desire to build strong and wide bridges that will only unite Heathmont College students and students from our Javanese sister school “Karangmojo Junior High School” in the near future!
My personal challenge remains that fear, racial tension, language, financial, religious and cultural barriers never stand between us.
To Heathmont College and Prema Devathas for giving me this opportunity, thank you.
In conclusion, not only did this visit further strengthened the bond between our two sister schools, but also expanded our insights, knowledge and appreciation of the diverse Indonesian culture and people. The liaison established here will further enhance the collaborative work between students from both schools. We also hope to incorporate more cross-curricular collaborative tasks involving Indonesian, Mathematics and Sports between students from both schools. In the near future, we hope to be able to host students from Indonesia and also provide such language and cultural experience to the wider college community.
Submitted by
Prema Devathas
Indonesian/ BRIDGE program coordinator
Heathmont College
Posted here are some activities whilst we were in Indonesia:
Meet with the Department of education officials at Gunung Kidul
Javanese ladies
"Egrang", traditional games from Java
Welcome to SMPN1 Karangmojo with this "Tari Gregah"
Jeanette learning to play a traditional instrument
"Yogya Istimewa" Dance lesson.